Reach assembly for cycle saddles



June 30, 1953 H. E. KALTER 2,643,701

REACH ASSEMBLY FOR CYCLE SADDLES Filed Nov. 1, 1949 nwmron HMO/o E, KAI-7'51? A-roRNEvs Patented June 30, 1953 REACH ASSEMBLY FOR CYCLE SADDLES Harold E. Kalter, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to The Troxel Manufacturing Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,801

- '2 Claims.

My invention relates to reach assemblies for cycle saddles and relates more particularly to a reach assembly of the type employing a reach rod and a U-shaped hanger member for retaining a pair of rear compression springs. The reach assembly of my invention is preferably associated with a reach member associated with a substantially vertically disposed saddle post.

It is an object of my invention to provide improved means for rigidly mounting said reach assembly upon said saddle post.

It is a further object of my invention to provide improved means for connecting said post and reach assembly.

It is afurther object of my invention to provide a new post and reach assembly construction which will be composed of few parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture and highly eflicient in use.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become readily apparent by reference to the drawing forming a part of the specification, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the reach rod, saddle post, and connecting means of my invention for said post and reach rod, and showing the rear springs and hanger therefor;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the assembled relationship of the post connecting means of my invention and the reach rod shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a washer of the connecting means of my invention before assembly;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a rod mounting plate of the connecting means of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a view of the saddle post prior to assembly as hereinafter described.

Referring now more particularly to the figures of drawing, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, at 2 I show a generally V-shaped reach rod having a U- shaped front portion 3 and provided with laterally extending prongs 4 and 5 at the cantle or rearward end of the rod. The prongs 4 and 5 terminate in reversely turned inwardly extending projections 6 and 1 respectively adapted to overlap laterally spaced helical compression springs 8 and 9 to secure the same thereto. The springs 8 and 9 are suspended from a U-shaped hanger I0 having a pair of vertically disposed downwardly extending legs II and I2 over which the springs 8 and 9 are compressed. The yoke I0, legs II and I2, and compression springs 8 and 9, as well as the clips I3, form no essential portion :1 of my invention and may be variously constructed. One form thereof is illustrated in the patent to Brant No. 1,670,563, dated May 22, 1928.

Essentially, my invention comprises a reach rod receiving plate I5, curved in the present invention to conform to the shape of the median and rearmost end of the transversely extending portions I6 and I! of the rod assembly. Said transversely extending elements of the assembly are generally parallel and are each provided with a hump portion I6 and IT at a foremost portion, a concave depression I8 and I9 centrally thereof and a hump 4 and 5' at the point of junction of the prongs 4 and 5 with the portions I6 and I I of the integral rod assembly 2.

The plate It is therefore provided with a forwardly disposed hump 20 and a rearwardly arched portion 2I to accommodate the rod portions I6 and I1 seated or nested therein. The plate I5 is further provided with a pair of grooved longitudinally extending guideways 22 and 23 therein which are disposed adjacent the lateral sides of the plate I5 and the rods I1 and I6 are retained therein when the upper end 3| of a saddle post is projected through the rectangular slot 24 disposed generally forwardly and centrally of the plate I5. The washer 40, having a rectangular opening 4| centrally disposed therein and corresponding in size to the opening 24 in the plate I5, is telescoped over the upper end 3| of the post 30 thereafter. A punch or other stamping tool is directed upon the upper end of the post and the washer in such manner as to rivet the post end over the washer and distort the washer so that it assumes the shape shown in Fig. 2 and is tightly clamped over the rods I6 and I1, its form approximating in cross-section the pre-formed plate I5. The plate I5 is provided with a rearwardly extending lip extending downwardly and outwardly forming a pair of flared ends 5| and 52 which direct the lateral ends 4 and 5 of the rod 2 towards their spring connected positions.

It will be noted that when the plate and reach rod assembly are connected as described and the punch operation completed, that the saddle post, reach assembly and connecting plate are an integral unit rigidly secured together.

Furthermore it may be noted that the plate I5 may be initially a flat or merely concave element provided with the aperture 24 and formed with the plate 40 in the shape desired by the stamping operation when the post, plate I5, plate 40 are assembled.

It will be obvious that numerous changes in cally extending post having an upper portion of generally reduced cross-section. affording a shoulder, a reach rod receiving plate member having an aperture therein, a second platemem her having an aperture adapted to'be aligned with the aperture of said first plate member, said 7 post adapted to have its upper reduced end portion projected through said apertures, saidfirst named plate member being disposed longitudinally under said longitudinally extending leg portions of the reach rod'and provided with a rearwardly disposed portion having a pair of flared ends each of said ends adapted to seat a-portion of an opposite laterally extending end of said reach rod leg elements and said second plate member being disposed over a median portion of said longitudinally extending legs of the reach rod seated in a median portion of said first plate member, the upper end of the post being riveted over said second plate member to integrally unite a the post, both plate members and reach rod assembly, and said second plate member being distorted to approximate in cross-section the formation of the median portion of said first plate member.

2'. A reach rod and saddle post connection comprising a reach rod of the generally V-shaped type having a pair of generally longitudinally ex tending legs substantially parallel throughout the length thereof, each of said legs being provided with a hump portion in its foremost portion, a

4 concave depression centrally thereof and a hump at its rearmost portion, said legs extending laterally of the said rearmost hump, a substantially vertically extending post, a reach rod receiving plate member having an aperture therein, said plate being provided with a forwardly disposed hump portion and a rearwardly arched portion, said plate having a pair'of grooved generally longitudinally extending guideways disposed there-- in adjacent the lateral sides thereof, the longi-- tudinally extending portions of said legs being seated therein, agenerally rectangular washer element having an opening centrally therein cor-- respondingto the aperture in said plate mem-- her, the post being projected through the aligned aperture in said plate member and said washer element, the upper end of the post being riveted over said washer element distorting said elementto approximate in cross-section the formation of theunderlying plate portion whereby guideways are formed in said Washer element, said plate member-being provided vvith a pairvofrfiared. ends and a' rearwardly disposed lip portion ex.- tending downwardly and outwardly from said pair of flared ends, adapted to seat the laterally extendingends of said reach rod legs whereby the reach rod assembly is supported by said plate throughout its'longitudinal and laterally extending portions.

HAROLD E. KALTER.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,046,636 Persons v. Dec. 10, 1912 1,504,289 Waldron V Aug. 12, 1924 2,030,809 Brandt Feb. 11, 1936 2,066,225 Pryale et a1 Dec. 29, 1,936 2,186,483 Guidetti V Jan. 9, 1940' 2,262,221 Bullock Nov. 11, 1 951]. 

